Chandler Chicco Agency acquires Ignition Strategic Communications

Chandler Chicco Agency (CCA) has acquired Ignition Strategic Communications of Washington, D.C. Ignition specializes in issues advocacy, media relations, public affairs and message development. The acquisition will bring the number of healthcare PR professionals in CCA's D.C. operation to 12."Ignition is a great fit for us. The synergy between Ignition's public affairs experience and CCA's healthcare expertise will create a powerhouse for our client partners in D.C. Both firms share similar philosophies, work ethic and a results-oriented culture," said Robert Chandler, founding partner of CCA.The CCA office will be jointly led by Jeff Nesbit and Sydney Rubin. Rubin, who founded Ignition in 1998, is a former newspaper reporter, television producer with the Public Broadcasting Service and foreign correspondent with The Associated Press in Paris and London. Nesbit, current head of the CCA D.C. office, is the former public affairs chief at the FDA and was a senior communications official in the first Bush White House. The acquisition allows CCA to immediately field a full-service PR presence in the nation's capitol at a critical juncture for the pharmaceutical and healthcare industries.Chandler's partner, Gianfranco Chicco, added that the acquisition of Ignition supports CCA's expansion plans, which included the opening of a Los Angeles office in 2004 and a planned Asian office this year. The firm already has offices in New York City and London.